by Mary Ellis
Beth straightened in her chair. ‘I do. You implied one of the suspects you paraded after dinner is the murderer. But if this case was never solved, how can you be so certain?’
‘Very astute, Mrs Preston. As investigators you’re well aware there’s a big difference between the certainty of culpability and proving guilt in a court of law. These days, juries are populated with unemployable deadbeats and those usually uneducated with nothing better to do. I’m certain that one of the five is our killer.’
Isabelle opened her mouth, perhaps to refute his low opinion of jurors, but closed it just as quickly.
‘There is no statute of limitations on murder,’ said Michael. ‘Did the police recently uncover new evidence and reopen the case?’
‘To the best of my knowledge, no.’
Like Michael, Hunter didn’t bother raising his hand like a child. ‘How exactly are we to proceed? Cases are usually solved with thorough and accurate research into the background of each possible suspect for opportunity and motive. As of this morning, none of our cell phones works, so accessing the internet is impossible.’
‘Hey, I brought my tablet along,’ said Nicki. ‘I go nowhere without access to Candy Crush Saga.’
When the laughter died down, Nate added, ‘And I’ve got my laptop in my luggage. Thought I’d catch up on paperwork in the evening. Do you have whole house Wi-Fi?’
Frazier’s expression was a cross between sadness and contempt. ‘No, I do not. May I relay the details of the crime before we consider the avenues available to you?’ After several heads nodded, Frazier continued.
‘I have invited all of you here not to play some silly parlor game, but to solve a real-life homicide, a cold case, that the Atlanta homicide department never closed. At least, not to my satisfaction.’
FOUR
It was silent around the breakfast table until Nate asked, ‘May we assume you have a personal interest in the murder investigation?’
‘You may indeed, Mr Price. The murder victim was my wife, Ariana, who was an accomplished artist and an avid bird enthusiast. We had just bought this natural paradise and looked forward to a long retirement in which I could read classic literature and Ari could paint and watch birds to her heart’s content.’
Several employees murmured words of condolence, but Frazier cut them off with the wave of his hand. ‘I don’t need your sympathy eight years after the fact,’ he thundered. ‘I need to find those responsible. And not just the thug who caved in my beloved’s skull with a wrench, but the person behind the killing.’
Izzy seemed to shrink smaller in her chair as Frazier painted a vivid picture of his wife’s death. Nate reached for her hand under the table. ‘Please give us the details of the crime, sir, so we could help you,’ he said.
Frazier sipped some water and straightened in his chair. ‘It was around eleven o’clock on a night in December. My wife had just gone up to bed. I programmed the coffeemaker and set the alarm system like I did every night, then I followed her up the stairs. Ariana was in the bathroom. I had just turned down the bedspread and was about to climb in bed when someone hit me from behind and knocked me unconscious for several minutes.’ From the concise nature of his explanation, Frazier must have given his statement many times to the police … or he had rehearsed it endlessly.
‘You didn’t hear anyone on the stairs or someone sneak up behind you?’ Nate asked.
‘I did not. As part of my evening ritual, I removed my hearing aids and placed them next to my watch on the nightstand.’ Frazier paused a moment and then resumed. ‘When I regained consciousness, I found my wife bleeding profusely next to the bathtub. I immediately called nine-one-one and held a damp cloth against the wound, but Ariana died before paramedics reached our home.’ His voice cracked, giving away emotion that would be hard to fake.
Hunter pushed to his feet, his face a contortion of pain. ‘As a husband, I can’t imagine a crueler fate than what you endured, Mr Frazier. If you don’t wish to continue—’
Nicki gently pulled Hunter back down. ‘Please, sir, as painful as this is, these details may help find who killed her.’
Frazier nodded his head. ‘According to the police report, of which I will provide a copy, the crime was a random break-in, not a home invasion. The thugs had been expecting to ransack an empty house. They gained entry through the garage, where one of them picked up a wrench from my workbench. Then they headed upstairs in search of cash and jewelry. Surprised to find us home, one knocked me out cold and the other must have heard Ariana in the bathroom. Afterwards they finished robbing the place. According to the police, the thug hadn’t meant to kill my wife, but the blow fractured her skull.’
‘It’s still murder, either way,’ said Michael.
‘Yes, Mr Preston. I know the law. From the start, I felt the murder had been premeditated and the break-in merely a cover-up. The only thing the thieves took was some jewelry from a box on Ariana’s dresser. No one touched her purse which had been on the hall table or my wallet on the nightstand.’
‘Few people carry large wads of cash these days,’ Beth commented.
‘That evening my wallet contained six hundred dollars. Wouldn’t that be sufficient to warrant a quick look?’ Frazier’s tone stifled Beth in a hurry.
‘In the city where we live, people have died for far less. What was the homicide detective’s conclusion?’ Nicki asked.
‘The detective assigned to my wife’s case was a lazy, drunken sot. He should have been fired the last time he messed up. But because Atlanta has a strong police union and he was months away from retirement, he got away with his negligence. The detective concluded the thieves had been looking for gold jewelry and had missed the wallet when they left in a hurry.’
There was a buzz around the table as everyone spoke at once. Nate silenced them quickly. ‘What in particular about their assessment of a random break-in do you disagree with? Why do you feel this crime was part of a larger conspiracy to kill one or both of you?’
‘A good question, Mr Price. And we shall come back to that later. Allow me to finish giving details of the crime.’ Frazier sipped from his water goblet. ‘Using fingerprints left in the bathroom and on the murder weapon, police identified one thief as Mack Fallon, who had a long criminal history, as did his younger brother, Reuben. Both of their prints were on the wrench which the police found in the bushes down the street.’
‘Sounds like an open-and-shut case,’ said Beth.
‘Indeed, Mrs Preston, it should have been. But the detective who showed up at the crime scene didn’t do his job. Consequently, the assistant prosecutor had the case dismissed for insufficient evidence.’
‘Were any of the thugs’ fingerprints found in the bathroom?’ Nate asked. ‘With those and the murder weapon, the DA had plenty of evidence to convict.’
‘One would certainly assume. But there was no mention in the report of bathroom fingerprints, only in the bedroom, and those belonged to Mack Fallon. After Mack died of a drug overdose while being held in county lockout, the case was dismissed for insufficient evidence. Reuben Fallon was released the next day. The detective simply closed the file on my wife’s murder without tracking down the jewelry or seeking proof of Reuben’s involvement.’
No one spoke for several seconds. Then Nate broke the silence. ‘You are certain Reuben was one of your assailants?’
‘Yes, I’m certain that Mack wielded the wrench that split my scalp, so his death in jail brought me great joy. But I’m just as certain Reuben was not only there, but the one who killed my wife. And he has lived as a free man all these years. What’s more, someone paid the Fallons to enter our home that night.’
Frazier took another sip of bourbon. ‘I told the detective that night the thugs surprised me from behind because my hearing aids were on the nightstand. Someone hit me hard on the back of the head and I went down. When I regained consciousness, I heard one creep say, “OK, we got the stuff from the dresser and inside the jewelry box. That g
uy’s wife is probably in the bathroom and can’t identify us, so let’s get out of here while that guy is out cold.” Then I heard a second voice say, “No, we ain’t being paid to get a bunch of gold jewelry. Go take care of the wife. This guy’s already dead.” Then the first creep said, “No way, I don’t want no part of that stuff.” Then I felt a sharp pain behind my eyes and blacked out again. When I awoke I saw Detective Sanborn and the cops crawling around my bedroom. I told all this to him.’
Frazier splayed his hands on the tabletop and pushed to his feet. ‘I invited your team here, Mr Price, to determine their accomplices and discover who paid the brothers to break into our home.’
‘We’re stuck out here on an island without internet access. How could we possibly help you?’ Hunter Galen didn’t mask the skepticism in his voice.
‘You will start by interviewing the suspects you met last night, including Sanborn. Every one of them knows more than they told the police.’
Izzy pressed her fingers to her lips, her eyes flashing. ‘Why did you lie to us? Why did you say they were staff members instead of the real suspects right from the start?’
‘Forgive me, Isabelle, but I told a white lie to build suspense for my game.’ Frazier’s smile held no warmth. ‘I invited to the island this week the Atlanta homicide detective, the assistant district attorney who had the case dismissed in court, the reporter who impugned my wife’s reputation in the media, Reuben Fallon, and Mack’s court-appointed attorney.’
Michael Preston shot to his feet. ‘Those people know exactly who you are, Frazier. They never would have come willingly to this island.’
‘Oh, they came willingly all right, at least three of them did. A one million-dollar cashier check provided plenty of incentive for them. Yes, they remembered me, but each one thought they had nothing to lose since the case was closed a long time ago. And they all desperately needed the money.’
Nicki looked confused. ‘You offered a million bucks to Reuben Fallon? There’s no statute of limitations if someone died during the commission of a robbery.’
‘No, Reuben needed a bit of physical coercion to participate in my game. But now he’s here.’ Frazier’s face glowed with excitement.
Nate cleared his throat. ‘If you strong-armed or drugged Fallon to get him on your boat, the police will consider that kidnapping. Wherever the truth lies, charges against the brother were dropped. You will be the one in trouble with the law.’
Frazier’s laughter was an unexpected response. ‘Don’t worry about me going left of the law. That’s the least of your worries. You’re here to find out who paid the Fallon brothers to kill my wife. If there are no more questions, I would like—’
‘Wait a minute!’ Beth interrupted. ‘You said you paid three people, and strong-armed Fallon. I counted five suspects during dinner last night.’
‘Quite right, my rude little Georgian.’ Frazier turned toward Hunter. ‘Our fifth invited guest is a former public defender, hired by the county to defend Mack Fallon at trial. That ne’er-do-well needed no million-dollar bribe or an armed guard to lure him here. Mr Kurt Ensley came willingly because he believed he was meeting a corporate client, Hunter Galen, for a few days of duck hunting. A bit of male bonding between client and attorney.’
As all eyes turned to Hunter for confirmation, Mr Creery opened the dining room’s double doors. In stepped two guards with assault rifles. Frazier clucked his tongue. ‘If your hotshot lawyer had done his homework, Mr Galen, Kurt Ensley would have learned waterfowl are protected on Elysian Island.’
‘Why would you invite my attorney here? You can’t possibly hold a public defender responsible for your wife’s death.’ Hunter took a step toward Frazier.
‘But I do, and you’re here to find out why!’ Frazier shouted. Then the pendulum of his demeanor pivoted back. ‘But I don’t wish to ruin the fun for the Price team of experienced investigators.’ He imbued his words with scorn. ‘For the rest of the morning, we’ll break into two teams. Team one will be given one clue to study in the library. Once you’ve learned all that you can, you’ll be escorted to your rooms to rest until dinner. Team two will be given free rein to explore the island, where hopefully you’ll encounter clues and one or more suspects to interview. They were released first thing this morning. Be sure to grab notebooks and pens when you change into your warm outerwear and hiking boots. When you return to the mansion you’ll find refreshments waiting in your rooms. Then we’ll reconvene at dinner to compare notes on what we’ve learned today.’
‘And if we refuse to play along with your game?’ asked Hunter in a low growl.
‘I’ll handcuff and drag you away from your charming wife so fast your aristocratic head will spin.’ Evil glinted in their host’s dark eyes. ‘If there are no other questions …’ He waited until Hunter shook his head. ‘Team one will be Nicki Galen, Michael Preston, and Nate Price. That leaves Hunter Galen, Beth Preston, and Isabelle Price on team two. I believe it’s more fun to separate married couples, just like in a game of charades. Now, if team two would be kind enough to follow me?’
‘Can’t we at least speak with our spouses first?’ asked Nate, not bothering to conceal his irritation.
‘For heaven’s sake,’ Frazier barked in exasperation, the pendulum swinging back. ‘You’ll be separated for a few hours at the most. I have no ill-will toward any of you. You’re here to find a murderer!’
Izzy stepped forward, breaking the tension. ‘I’m ready to do my best.’
But Beth jumped up and beat her to the door. ‘We’ll play by your rules, Mr Frazier. But I’m captain of team two since Isabelle and Hunter aren’t PIs.’
‘Very well, Mrs Preston, whatever you say.’ Frazier grinned as he followed them through the doorway.
And Nate’s breakfast turned sour in his gut.
When the door closed behind Frazier, Nate looked at his two employees who were both waiting for his direction, and exhaled a sigh.
‘What exactly are we supposed to do in here?’ Nicki strode toward the window as though on a mission.
Nate shrugged. ‘We’re supposed to study one of the clues which hasn’t been given to us yet.’
‘I need more caffeine,’ said Michael. ‘No offense, boss, this retreat has gone from bad to worse.’
‘None taken. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re even close to hitting bottom.’ Nate spoke softly in case Frazier’s guards lurked nearby.
Michael filled three mugs with coffee. ‘Drink up, members of team one. We may soon be asked to make sense out of nonsense.’ He drank a hearty swallow.
Suddenly the door opened and Frazier entered with two guards at his heels. ‘I hope you won’t think everything in this file is nonsense, Mr Preston, because I’m depending on you to solve the mystery.’
Heedless of the guards’ weapons, Nate grabbed the lapels of Frazier’s jacket. ‘If you harm one hair on my wife’s head or any of my employees …’
Quickly, one guard knocked Nate back with the butt of his assault rifle.
‘Relax, Mr Price,’ said Frazier. ‘I’m not referring to the lives of Price employees. So stop wasting time with unnecessary, macho theatrics. I give my assurance that all of you will be released, unharmed, once you figure out who paid the killers.’ He tossed a thin manila folder on the dining-room table.
Michael reached for the papers that had scattered across the surface. ‘Is this the detective’s case file on the robbery-homicide?’
‘It is, Mr Preston. Good to know you have a more level head than your fearless leader.’ Tugging down his lapels, Frazier glared at Nate. ‘Inside you’ll find Detective Charles Sanborn’s crime scene report. I trust an ex-forensic accountant will find more holes than the proverbial Swiss cheese, plus several glaring inconsistencies from my recount of what happened that night.’ Their host looked from one to the other. ‘On my life, I told you the truth. At this late stage of my life, I have no reason to lie. Good luck. Should you need snacks or more coffee, press the button
on my chair to summon my housekeeper.’
When Frazier turned to leave, Nicki spoke. ‘Please, sir, may I use the ladies’ room?’ Her accent couldn’t get any thicker or more charming.
Frazier’s benign expression turned curious. ‘Of course, Mrs Galen, but don’t even think of trying to manipulate one of my employees. My housekeeper, Mrs Norville, will accompany you and watch your every move.’
Nicki’s smile faded as she waited for her escort, while Nate and Michael carried their coffees to the table and sat down.
A middle-aged woman soon appeared to take Nicki away. Despite her age, the housekeeper looked like she could mud-wrestle alligators for a living.
‘What have I gotten the team into?’ Nate muttered.
‘Don’t beat yourself up, boss. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Let’s just concentrate on the task before us.’ Michael separated the papers in the folder into two piles.
‘Not much of a case file.’ Nate pulled the crime scene report to the top of the stack. For several minutes, he read and re-read the detective’s summation, while Michael sipped coffee and mulled over the forensic reports of blood spatter and fingerprints. ‘All right,’ Nate said when Michael leaned back in his chair. ‘What have you learned so far?’
Then Nicki re-entered the room, her complexion pale as a shade of skim milk.
‘Are you all right?’ Nate asked. ‘You were gone a long time.’
‘I’m fine.’ Nicki sat down on the other side of the table. ‘Nurse Ratchet locked me in the bathroom and then took her sweet time coming back for me.’
‘Just relax for now while Michael tells us what’s in the lab report.’
Michael laced his fingers behind his head. ‘I agree with Frazier that Sanborn wasn’t the best detective in the world. Not much forensic evidence in here, other than the fingerprints found in the master suite belonged to Frazier, his wife Ariana, and the chief murder suspect … Mack Fallon. The blood spatter on the bathroom walls and mirror belonged to Ariana Frazier, and finally skin cells found under Mrs Frazier’s nails matched the DNA sample in the police databank for Mack Fallon, not Reuben. Frazier’s wife apparently put up a fight and scratched her assailant. Photos taken after Fallon’s arrest showed several long scratches on his face. Either no one dusted for prints in the bathroom, or none they found were any good. So none of the evidence in the file directly tied the younger brother to the crime.’ Michael pushed his half of the file across the desk to Nate. ‘Anything of interest in Sanborn’s report?’
